Welcome to Litsy!

YA mystery set in a 1930's British Girls Boarding School. I honestly wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I think what really worked is that it actually felt like a group of teen girls with realistic dynamics and personalities. In addition it had good pace and tone. Easy, entertaining read.

#BoardingSchool #SchoolSpirit

Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView ! This one‘s been on my TBR for a while now!

#MiddleGradeMonday @Karisimo

#MiddleGradeMonday

I love this series set at an English boarding school named Deepdean.

Loved this book. It was so gripping and shocking. 😀

One last tea and scone at the airport

We are read this one for the Nancy Drew vibes book club on Fable. Check out the details here: https://charityrau.wordpress.com/2024/01/24/nancy-drew-vibes-book-club-januarys-...

And this is how the recommendation for students looks like. No that any ever came to get one the recommended books, they mostly go for Greg‘s Diary. But at least they read. I ordered the series of Murder Most Ladylike anyway because I liked it. 😜

So, I finished this one in the Natural History Museum. A classic murder mystery set in the school surrounding and girls as detectives. The author uses the point of view of the secretary of the Murder Club instead of the president‘s one, which reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. In general a story which can be read fast and is a good start into the genre for teenagers. I will definitely recommend it to my students.

This is how it looks like reading in a Natural History Museum of Switzerland. They even opened it for the Silent Reading club two hours in advance.
I was reading Murder Most Unladylike because it is going to be the next tip for my school‘s English library which I am taking care of.

I‘ve read all of these! It has to be one of my favourite series of all time. I have the British covers though but these are gorgeous x

My daughter, Lily, is 10 and she highly recommends this series. It seems to be a Nancy Drewesque series that is good for kids who are graduating from 'Secret Seven' and 'Famous Five'. It seems to use some great extended vocab and it definitely made Lil think 👍💛

#AdventRecommends December 16th

This might be another cheat, but this year I read the first four books in the Wells and Wong mystery series. They are such a delight.

A mashup of Golden Age mysteries and Edith Blyton's school stories.

I was expecting this to be very funny but it wasn't particularly. It wasn't so bad that I wanted to DNF it but for most of the first 2/3 I just felt impatient to get it over and done with. It only really got interesting the last 1/3 but not so interesting that I will be continuing with the series. Maybe the kid detective genre is just not for me.

#coffeeandabook

I quite enjoyed this - though I think I‘d like the UK version better, we make do with what we can get. Hazel stumbles across her teacher‘s body, but when she comes back with help it‘s gone. Best friend Daisy decides they‘re going to solve the mystery, which they do! There‘s some bickering and not always being good to each other (well, Daisy isn‘t always good to Hazel…or anyone else), but it was fun. #roll100

I remember reading The Naughiest Girl series as a kid and being fascinated with boarding schools. Then Lowood School in Jane Eyre burst my bubble. But it feels nice to be back in a boarding school setting where Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong solve mysteries ranging from finding tuck boxes to solving murders. 💙

Set in 1934. #currentlyreading

The first book in the Well & Wong mystery series about Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. They are two girls at Deepdean School in 1934. One day one of the teachers, Miss Bell, is found dead and they decide to investigate this.

I loved Daisy and Hazel, and have already ordered the next book from the library.

#sundayfunday
1. Tagged
2. At home on the sofa, a cosy blanket, chocolate and sat next to my two dogs 🐶
3. Tea

A Christie-Doyle mashup set in a 1930s English girls' boarding school. As such, you can expect bunbreaks, tuck boxes, sick room escapades, prep, & bloody murder. Utterly delightful, but the partnership of beautiful blonde English rose Daisy & Hong Kong transplant Hazel is both intriguing & problematic, insofar as Daisy exhibits some of the narcissism & privilege that is reminiscent of Cumberbatch's Sherlock. Interested to see how this develops.

A truly charming middle-grade murder mystery. Taking place at an English boarding school between the wars, this book is narrated by Hazel Wong, recently of Hong Kong. When Hazel finds the body of a dead schoolmistress, she runs for her friend and fellow detective society member Daisy Wells. What follows is an exciting adventure...

I'm looking forward to reading more in the series! The only thing that threw me a bit were some Americanisms.

What a great day for #bookmail !

I got this book and sweet note from @TheAromaofBooks and for my next #lmpbc book from @MeganAnn

Ready to get reading!

#Sundayfunday
1. 9 books in total (the tagged book)
2. No. I quite like waiting in between books so I can catch up on other TBR books.
3. I don‘t mind 🙂

This book was cute and had a puzzling mystery. I LOVE Hazel, she is a sweet, smart, and thoughtful character. Daisy, not so much, but she‘s a great contrast to Hazel. Looking forward to continuing the series!!#catsoflitsy #lennox #huey

The entire concept of this book is charming & delightful. Hazel is a lovable protagonist, and she & Daisy have such a clever & determined way about them. It would be hard not to be entertained by their resolve to find answers & do what's right. The mystery itself was nothing crazy or dark, but it was fun to play along as they solved it. Looking forward to the next book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ November #bookspin completed. Generally I enjoy this mystery series set at an all girls English boarding school but this is definitely not a favorite. In this installment I was annoyed with Daisy and her snobbish treatment of best friend Hazel, not a great example of an equal female friendship, and although the mystery was clever, it felt long winded. Despite all this I will continue on with the series because I‘ve liked the other books.

Excited for this months picks! 📚

The others all have good alibis - and although in books they might have done it by constructing a dastardly long range missile out of a trombone, three plant pots and the Gym vaulting horse, in real life that sort of thing does seem beyond the bounds of possibility...

I loved 1930s boarding school stories - this is a fun throwback.

I really enjoyed this murder mystery set at a boarding school in England. This is the first in the series around 10 books I think. I have ordered the next one too! #mysterybooks

This is a new series for me, the blue book is the first one and the shiny one is the latest in the series. There are only about 9 or so in between. Hope I like the series then! #tbr

#thankfulthursday
My daughter chose this book for me with the the help of hubby paying for it!
1. When I was 16 my Nan was in the WI. I was asked to type up recipe books for their summer fayre. The great thing was...I wasn‘t paid in cash I was given all home made flowers, Jams, cakes and bookmarks as a thank you❤️
2. My husband is holiday and the weather as been very kind to us so I‘m thankful for quality family time
Thank you for the tag @Mrs_B

#twofortuesday
1. I‘ve had the tagged book on my TBR list for a long time and I completed it in three days, need to read the rest of the series now!
2. Trying to mark off some #summerbingo books and I‘m still trying to do a buddy read too

This is the first book in the series and it certainly did not disappoint. A mash up of Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes. Two strong female leads start up a Detective Agency at Boarding School. They are both successful at finding out secrets - I loved this “Whodunit” mystery -from the number of suspects to motives, the author keeps up the suspense throughout. Can‘t wait to read the next book on the series.

Not a cloud in the sky. In the UK today....mini heatwave 32c, don‘treally feel like doing anything!
#readinginthegarden #toohottodoanything

This has been sitting in my TBR stack and tonight I‘m finally going to start it!
#cantwait #newbook

Catching up on reviews!

This was an fun, fast paced read, perfect for when it is hard to focus on anything too heavy. A good murder mystery, great characters and just an all round fun book. I will definitely be reading more from Robin Stevens!

Really enjoyed this book. Characters are great and I loved the school setting. Very much Nancy Drew meets Chalet School vibe.

Am I in the middle of 3 books already? Yes!
Am I about to start a fourth? Also yes!
My library hold came in so it would be rude not to right?

“There‘s been a rather shocking murder at Deepdean School for Girls...”

This middle-grade novel, set in an English boarding school in 1932, is just about the right amount of deepness I need in my reading life at the moment. 😆

Happy weekend Littens! What exciting things happened this week? What interesting books did you find?

I finished revising a manuscript & turned it into my agent! Woo! This is my 4th revision & a chance to polish polish polish before finding a new publisher. Fingers crossed my agent likes the new version! All that work has worn me out a bit though. So you can bet I'm going to be spending my weekend snuggled up w/this doggo & a stack of books. 📚🐕

Saw this shelf talker in Foyles Charing Cross Road and I could not agree more. One of my favourite current middle grade series

Look what I found in my local bookstore yesterday... A signed copy of the tagged book. 😍😍😍😍

Thanks so much @BookishMarginalia ! I've been dying to read these since I saw you post about them in the summer!

Relaxing after work with this terrific #middlegrade #cozymystery featuring Daisy Wells and BFF Hazel Wong, founders and only members of a secret detective society at posh British boarding school Deepdean School for Girls in the 1930s.

I really really REALLY want this #middlegrade mystery series! It looks like such fun! #LondonUK

I had no idea middle grade mysteries could be so fun and intriguing. When I was in middle school, I went through an Agatha Christie phase, but I havent read many mysteries since. This book rekindled that childhood joy for me in an unexpected way. I definitely want to read more of Stevens.

#mysteries
#murder
#nostalgia
#readinglife

If work was so horrible, that only books can help... 😍💕

Here's the #bookblanket motif for this book! "Claret" for a mystery and "boysenberry" for a book bought this year.